Bessette/Pitney’s AMERICAN GOVERNMENT AND POLITICS: DELIBERATION, DEMOCRACY AND CITIZENSHIP reviews the idea of "deliberative democracy." Building on the book, this blog offers insights, analysis, and facts about recent events.

Search This Blog

Sunday, July 31, 2011

Young John Boehner and the Balanced Budget Amendment

The current debate on the debt ceiling has drawn attention to a proposed constitutional amendment to balance the budget. The idea has been around for a long time. In 1992, it got support from an Ohio freshman named John Boehner (R-OH). The clips shows that, although the numbers have changed, the basic arguments for and against the idea have remained largely the same. Toward the end of the clip, Boehner talks about freshman legislators: "I think those people come to Congress closer to with folks at home, [with] more courage to do what's right and willing to make those tough decisions."